The Cherry Blossom And The Sand Demon
by Gaara's Plaything
Summary: This is Beauty And The Beast told with Sakura as the beauty and Gaara as the beast. You get the picture. Not a Disney carbon copy. This is like the original, just the Naruto version. Rated T for suggestive content.
1. The Merchant

**Hey there! I got a new story. I really shouldn't put this up, but I can't help it! But I suppose it's alright, since it's only going to have about five chapters, two of which are already done. Plus, it's basically Beauty and the Beast, so it's not like I'll have to think up a plot for it or anything. I already know what to do for each chapter, so I've really only got three more to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this!**

**Naruto and Beauty And The Beast don't belong to me.**

_**The Cherry Blossom And The Sand Demon**_

**Part One – The Merchant**

Once upon a time... Wait, that's a bit clichéd. Maybe we should start with; there once was a merchant and his wife who had three daughters, all of whom were very beautiful, but the youngest of them was the most beautiful of the three. There was the eldest, Tenten, the middle child, Ino and the youngest was called Sakura. The five of them lived in a splendid mansion in the middle of a grand city called Konoha, which was the centre of trade for many miles around. The father was a well-known and well-to-do businessman named Jiraiya, who was also an author on the side. However, he never let his daughters read what he wrote. His wife was called Tsunade.

The day came that everything that they owned became financially threatened, and, because of a few poor business decisions, they were nearly forced out of their home. But then an opportunity came along that could not be missed, though it meant that Jiraiya would have to be gone from home for a long time.

"I'll be sending money home, so that you can start to pay off the debts we've accumulated," he told them. "That way we won't lose our home."

"That's good," Tsunade said with a slight threatening tone. "Just make sure that you do, otherwise you're in trouble when you eventually get back!"

Jiraiya gulped, then turned to his daughters. "What would you like me to bring back as gifts for you?" he asked.

"I would like some beautiful dresses!" Ino immediately squealed in delight. "I haven't been able to get anything new for _ages_!"

"A nice jewel encrusted kunai or something that like for my collection," Tenten spoke up. "That's if you can find anything like that."

Jiraiya looked at his youngest and asked, "And what would you like for me to bring back, Sakura?"

"The only thing I wish for is your safe return, Father," Sakura told him, and he laughed.

"I can definitely promise you that!" he said. "But since I am getting your mother and your sisters something, I think it's alright if I get you something too."

"You're getting Mother something too?" Ino asked. "But she hasn't said what she wants!"

"We discussed it last night," Tsunade said.

Sakura thought a moment, then said, "If you really want to get me something, then maybe an exotic flower, like a rose. The most beautiful you can find. You know I love roses."

"Daffodils are great, too!" Ino said, and Tenten added, "I like tulips!"

Jiraiya laughed. "A rose it is, then!" he declared, and kissed each of his daughters, and then his wife before bidding them farewell.

"I really hope he comes back safely," Sakura sighed, and Tsunade hugged her.

"Don't worry, your father's a survivor," she reassured her, glancing at her other two daughters as well. "He'll be alright."

Meanwhile, Jiraiya was headed for the centre of the town, where he was to meet his new employer. Upon reaching the prearranged spot, he waited until a man approached him and asked if he was the merchant Jiraiya.

"I certainly am!" he declared loudly.

The man bowed in greeting. "I am Ebisu," he informed him. "I have been sent by my employer, the great Sarutobi, to guide you to the caravan that shall be accompanying you on this trip."

Jiraiya inclined his head in acknowledgement and followed him to a place near the edge of town where several wagons waited to begin their journey. An old man stood before them, staring as if he were inspecting them, and at their approach, he turned to them, a warm greeting in his eyes.

"Master Sarutobi!" Ebisu greeted formally. "I have brought the one called Jiraiya to you!"

Sarutobi grunted. "Thank you, Ebisu, you may leave now."

Ebisu saluted and marched off.

"Welcome, Jiraiya," the old man greeted him. "I have heard of your reputation for business, and I hope that you will do as well for me on this venture as you have on others."

"I shall endeavour to do so, sir," Jiraiya promised him.

"Good," was the slightly distracted reply. "Very good. Now, you need to get underway. There's a very strict schedule to keep to, and as such, you need to leave immediately. Don't forget, as you go, you must always keep thirty percent of the profit aside, for that is what you shall be delivering to me. The rest shall be divided between you and the other members of the caravan as living and travelling expenses. Depending on how you do, there shall be a great bonus for you when you return, as well as more work."

Jiraiya nodded and the caravan got moving.

As they travelled throughout the lands, they did exceedingly well in their dealings, and Jiraiya was able to send money back to his family. It wasn't yet enough to pull them out of the slump they were in, but it would allow them to keep their home. Also, as he travelled he found all the gifts for his family, except he couldn't find a rose for his youngest. Everywhere he looked, the flower either wasn't blooming, or they weren't of a fine enough quality.

Eventually they came to the tail end of their trip, and they found themselves having to pass through a desert. The necessary precautions were taking in case of a sandstorm, and when one eventually hit, it seemed to be unusually fierce. The wagons remained intact, but the battering they received was beginning to take its toll, and soon they were stuck, stranded in the middle of a desert in the centre of a dreadful storm.

"We can't stay here!" one of the men yelled, though they could all barely hear each other. "We'll be buried alive for sure!"

"But we can't go anywhere!" another yelled back. "The wagons won't move, and even if they could, the animals are too terrified to budge!"

"We'll have to wait!" Jiraiya bellowed. "Find those shovels and do your best to keep the wagons unburied!"

It was then that he did something that you should never do in a sand storm, whether you could help it or not. Jiraiya stumbled slightly, falling backwards and turning as he stumbled, completely losing his bearings.

"Hey!" he yelled hopelessly. "Where are you all?"

But there was no reply. Deciding it was best to keep moving rather than stay where he was and risk being buried alive, so he kept moving. After awhile, he realised that it was getting him nowhere, and after a long sigh, he collapsed from exhaustion.

When he woke later, he was no longer in the desert, but was lying on grass. Sitting up, he looked around him and saw that while he was still actually in the desert, he was on the edge of an oasis. Jiraiya stood, his legs a little shaky as he looked around. He was really thirsty and he decided that his best bet would be to head into the oasis and look for water.

"After all," he reasoned, "you can't get an oasis without water."

So he went in. After some time, he found something that had his jaw dropping in absolute astonishment.

There was a castle in the middle of the oasis. And not just a castle like you'd find for other kingdoms or whatever. This one was practically a palace! After he got over his initial shock, Jiraiya decided to go in and see if he could find someone who could possibly get him back to his caravan. As he approached it, he noticed that there didn't seem to be anyone around. It felt like the sun had only recently set, yet he was shivering already.

"Hello?" he called when he reached an open door. (He wasn't too keen on entering through the big ass main one.)

There was no answer, but he was feeling brave (and thirsty and hungry) so he went in.

Soon he reached a magnificent dining room, and instantly realised that there was magic happening. How? There were dishes of food and pitchers of wine floating in the air, headed for the rather long table that was in the centre of the room. As Jiraiya approached the spot where the food was set, a chair was pulled out by some invisible force, and he sat, not wanting to upset whoever it was that was providing all of this for him.

He ate in silence, looking around him, taking in the splendour of even just this one room, and when he was done, decided that he would like to explore.

"Is it alright if I look around?" he asked the air, and there was no reply, so he figured that it would be alright.

He wandered for some time, eventually coming across a magnificent garden that held wondrous flower after wondrous flower, as well as a variety of trees and bushes. This was the most amazing garden he'd ever seen in his many years of travel.

Soon he came across some roses, and he caught his breath. They were absolutely divine! They were perfectly formed, and when he checked, he found no evidence of aphids. Leaning in, he was entranced by their scent, and instantly he remembered his promise to his daughter Sakura.

"I'm sure there wouldn't be any harm in taking one," he mused. "There are a lot here, after all."

And so, he pulled out a small pair of scissors he had on him and 'snip', one rose was now in his hand.

A loud crash like thunder startled him and an eerie feeling of doom washed over him. Looking up, Jiraiya became paralysed with fear at the sight of a mighty sand demon standing over him.

**I'll leave this up for awhile before I post the next chapter, so don't forget to review. See ya!**


	2. A Flower For A Flower

**Ok, I said I had two chapters done, and here's the second. The third one is nearly done as well. Enjoy.**

**I don't own the Naruto characters.**

**Part Two – A Flower For A Flower**

"THIEF!" the demon roared. "AFTER THE HOSPITALITY I'VE SHOWN YOU, THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME? BY STEALING FROM ME?"

"I'm sorry!" Jiraiya cried. "I only wanted one for my daughter!"

"I DON'T CARE!" the demon roared. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS TREACHERY WITH YOUR LIFE!"

The demon reached down and grabbed him, dragging him into the castle and throwing him into a deep dungeon. Jiraiya was terrified. He was scared that he would never get home to his wife and daughters, and he was miserable for hours as he lay there, wondering how the great demon would kill him. After a long time of waiting, the 'beast' came back and stared at him for a moment.

"You took the rose for your daughter?" it asked, its voice more sedate.

Jiraiya nodded numbly. "My youngest, Sakura," he said. "When I asked my daughters what they wanted from my trip, all she wanted was my safe return, but I pressed her for more, and she said she wanted a single rose."

The demon regarded him seriously, his great tail swishing as he stood there, contemplating. Finally he said, "You are the merchant, Jiraiya, aren't you?"

Mutely, said man nodded. "Even here, your reputation proceeds you," the demon said.

It stared at him a moment longer, then decided, "I'll let you go back to your family and give your daughter the rose, but then either you or she has to come back here as my prisoner."

Was the demon serious? Allow his youngest to come into the grasp of a demon like this? And yet, he considered that at least this would be a chance to say good-bye to his family. There was _no way_ he'd allow Sakura to take his place!

"I agree," he said, "but _I _will return here, not my daughter."

The demon inclined his head. "My servants will bear you home," it spoke. "In a week's time, they will return to your home to collect whoever it is that greets them at the stroke of midnight."

Suddenly Jiraiya found himself outside the castle, a litter carriage in front of him. Hesitantly he got in, and invisible servants lifted the carriage and sped him off towards home. When they arrived, he found his wife and daughters mourning for him, and he realised that they probably thought that he was dead. Sakura saw him first, and his heart broke at the thought of losing his family all over again.

"Father!" she cried, catching her mother and sisters attention as she raced to him, hugging him so tightly that she would probably never let him go again.

"Jiraiya!" Tsunade exclaimed, and ran to him, closely followed by Tenten and Ino. "I thought I'd never see you again!"

The four most important people in his life were hugging him and sobbing, and Jiraiya felt so bad about what he had to tell them. But he had to. He stole the rose, he had to pay the price for it.

"I've missed all of you," he said as they all released him, wincing when his 'lovely wife' whacked his arm.

"You baka!" she cried. "Where were you? We were sure you were dead when the caravan returned without you!"

Jiraiya told them what happened, and they were silent as they listened, tears forming in their eyes and spilling over as they heard his fate spelled out for them.

"Oh father!" Sakura said. "All that for a rose? You should have left it alone! I told you I only wished for your safe return!"

Jiraiya sighed. "I wasn't really thinking," he admitted, ignoring the roll of his wife's eyes. "As soon as I could smell the rose, I just knew I had to get it for you."

With that, he pulled a rose out of his coat and presented it to her.

Sakura saw that it really was a magnificent rose, and when she inhaled the scent, she understood her father's words. "It _is _beautiful," she murmured, entranced by the aroma.

She closed her eyes and she could almost envisage the garden this beautiful flower came from, but then her eyes snapped open when the image of a fearsome creature sprang to her minds eye. What was that? Whatever it was, she knew that she could not let her father go back to that beast. It was _her _fault that he'd been imprisoned, because she'd asked for that silly rose. What was a flower compared to the life and safety of someone she loved?

When Master Sarutobi learned of his employee's miraculous return, he immediately summoned him. He was gone for hours, and Sakura spent that time preparing a special potion that her mother had once taught her, so that when the time came, she would slip it to her father and take his place at the demon's castle. It would take a few days to settle, and she needed that time to say good-bye to her old life.

Going into the main city, she knocked on the door of the house of her best friend in the whole world, Hinata, the daughter of another prominent merchant. "Sakura!" Hinata greeted when she opened the door and found her friend there. "I heard about your father's miracle return! You must be so happy!"

Sakura smiled slightly. "I am," she admitted. "I know that Tenten was especially happy, since she won't be at home anymore, soon."

"Oh, that's right!" Hinata said. "She's getting married soon to that son of the baron. Isn't the son's name Lee or something?"

Sakura nodded. "And next year, Ino will be marrying Lord Kiba," she added.

"Have your parents arranged a marriage for you yet?" Hinata asked.

"I don't know," Sakura admitted, thinking privately that it wouldn't matter, since she was going to be the prisoner of a beast anyway. "I think my father isn't ready to think about that yet."

"I know that Lord Uchiha would like for you to marry his eldest," Hinata said. "He's already approached my father for my hand for his youngest."

Sakura nodded. "Don't forget your uncle," she said.

"Oh, right!" Hinata agreed. "He would like you to marry my cousin, wouldn't he?"

Sakura nodded. "There are others too," she said, "but I can't remember them all."

"It's what comes with being beautiful," Hinata said, "and the daughter of a wealthy merchant to boot."

"We're not that rich anymore," Sakura protested. "and besides, Ino's prettier than me, and Tenten, too!"

Hinata shook her head. "No they're not," she told her friend.

The week passed and when the time came Sakura slipped the potion to her father, and he was asleep in an instant. Silently she moved through the mansion, gathering a few things that she didn't want to leave behind, things that would comfort her when she was particularly homesick. She could only hope that the demon would allow her to keep them with her in its dungeon.

Silently she moved through the mansion until she came to the front door. She opened it and stepped outside, immediately spotting the litter-like carriage. She headed straight for it, but before she reached it, her sisters stepped out of the shadows.

"And where do you think you're going?" Tenten demanded.

"Who said you could be out here at this time of night?" Ino added.

Sakura sighed. "I'm going to the demon in Father's place," she told them.

"Why?" Ino asked, tears in her eyes. "We don't want to lose our sister!"

"You saw what the news of Father's 'death' did to mother," the youngest explained. "His leaving again would kill her! She's already withdrawn into herself at though thought that he'll be gone tomorrow!"

"But this isn't fair!" Ino cried, and Sakura gathered both of her sisters to her in a hug.

"Don't worry about me," she told them. "I can look after myself."

She disentangled herself form her weeping sisters and went to the carriage. The door automatically opened for her, and she stepped inside, casting one last glance to her sisters before allowing herself to be taken away from everything and everyone she'd ever known or loved.

The journey to the castle passed in a blur, mostly because Sakura would fall into a light doze every now and then. The landscape passed unnoticed as she travelled, but soon she vaguely noticed a change in the air, and sat up straighter, looking out to see a vast desert. Moments later they arrived at the oasis, and then the castle, and she looked upon it with awe. It was too bad that she was going to be confined to a dungeon; she would have liked the chance to explore.

Once they arrive in front of the castle, Sakura got out of the carriage and stared up in awe at the size of the place. A slightly popping noise had her turning around just in time to see the carriage disappear in a puff of smoke. Swallowing hard, she stepped forward through the huge doors and jumped as they slammed behind her.

This was it, she was really here and doing this. She wondered where she was supposed to go now, but a terrible voice spoke from behind her, making her jump and turn around.

"Welcome, Lady Sakura, to your new home."

A huge demon stood there, and she just knew that this was the creature her father had spoken of, the one who was now her jailer.

**So, I've been really busy with work, and I'm extremely tired, but I'm gonna try to get some writing done on my day off, which is only a day and a half away, so until then, I'm gonna get some sleep. Good night! Oh, and don't forget to review!**


	3. The Beast And The Prince

**Chapter three is done, and there's only two left to go! Enjoy!**

**I don't own the rights to Naruto.**

**Part Three – The Beast And The Prince**

Invisible hands tugged at the bags she carried, and Sakura could only stare as her things floated off in mid-air. Once they disappeared from sight, she returned her gaze to the demon before her, and waited for him to drag her off to the dungeons. He simply stared at her for awhile, and she began to feel nervous under his gaze.

"Come," he eventually spoke. "I will show you the room where you will be staying."

He turned and started to walk, but stopped and looked back at her when she didn't move. "B-but I th-thought I'd be going to the dungeon?" Sakura stuttered, and the beast sighed.

"You will not be staying in the dungeon," he assured her. "I admit that, had your father come, I would not have hesitated to throw him in there. But you are not the one who committed the crime, so you can stay in one of the guest suites. Unless you'd rather stay in the dungeon?"

"N-no!" Sakura exclaimed, still stuttering slightly. "A proper room would be nice."

This time when the beast began walking, she fell into step behind him.

As they walked, they happened to pass by the gardens, and Sakura surmised that this was the same spot that her father had stolen the rose from. Already she could smell the heady perfume of the different varieties of flowers, and she stopped to inhale deeply. The demon noticed that she was no longer following him and turned to her, then moved through the gardens instead. Sakura followed, marvelling at everything that she saw.

After a short while, they came across the place where the roses were, and Sakura took out the rose her father had given her. She was quite startled when it jumped from her hand and reattached itself to the rosebush, but since she'd already figured that there was some kind of spell over everything, she just took it all in stride.

Finally, they reached the place that she was to stay, and when she stepped into the room, she turned to find that the demon was gone. Sighing, Sakura closed the door and went inside, looking around and wondering at the riches in the room. Looking out the window, she could see a pale pink and orange stain on the horizon and knew that dawn was not far away. A yawn caught her off guard and she decided to get some sleep. Sakura pulled the covers back on the bed and lay down, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

She dreamed.

She was standing in the castle's gardens and it was very bright, the sort of bright that you only find in pleasant dreams. Looking around, Sakura saw a handsome Prince standing near her, and as she watched, he came towards her and grasped her hand, lifting it to meet her lips. She'd known instantly he was a Prince because of the circlet he wore on his head.

Never in her life had she seen anyone so handsome. His unruly rust red hair immediately captivated her, as did his beautiful jade eyes. There were rings around his eyes, and she wondered what had caused them. Perhaps insomnia? Her eyes flew to his forehead where a kanji tattoo for love stood out. Love. That was something she'd wanted all her life. For a handsome Prince to sweep her off her feet and for them to fall head over heels in love with one another. Was this her Prince?

"Beautiful Sakura," the Prince whispered, and she blushed. "I am Prince Gaara of the Sand. I am glad you came."

Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but before any sound could come out, she felt herself being torn away from him, and a moment later her eyes snapped open and she found herself back in her new room, alone with no handsome Prince around for miles. She sighed. She felt cheated, somehow, and figured this was what her mother often complained about when her father came home exhausted from work. Apparently he was useless when he was like that, and the next morning their mother would be in the foulest mood until their father woke up, then they would disappear into their room for a couple of hours until he went back to work.

Sakura spent the day wandering around the castle, and in the evening the beast made an appearance. "How did you like the castle?" he asked as they sat down to dine together.

He was incredibly civilised, she noticed, using the proper utensils for his food, though she kept her eyes averted from what he was eating.

"It was nice," she told him, and from there, they made polite conversation until they were finished.

After they'd eaten, they took a walk around the gardens, then he surprised her with a question, "Beautiful Sakura, will you marry me?"

Sakura was shocked, and that was saying the least. In her shock, she answered without thinking, "No! How could I marry a demon?"

The demon sighed and vanished, and Sakura felt really, really bad for being extremely rude.

Once again that night she dreamed of the handsome Prince Gaara. This time he held her hand and gazed at her with adoration, causing her to blush even harder than before.

"You truly are beautiful, Sakura-chan," he whispered, and she reddened further.

"My sisters are much prettier than me," she spoke self-consciously.

"Nonsense!" he told her. "There's no one in the world more beautiful than you."

She'd thought it was impossible for her to blush more, but somehow she managed it. Sakura opened her mouth to speak, but Gaara leaned forward and lightly placed his lips over hers, startling her. He pulled back quickly, then stood, pulling her up with him.

"It's nearly dawn, Sakura-chan," he whispered. "I shall miss you until tonight."

Then he faded away as she slowly opened her eyes to face the real world.

The days passed quickly into weeks, and every night the beast would ask her to marry him, and she would say no, though more politely now after her little outburst. Then when she went to sleep, her Prince would come to her in her dreams and tell her how beautiful she was and kiss her. Then one night she managed to kiss him back, and her heart was irrevocably lost to him from that moment on. Not that he didn't already hold it.

"Sakura-chan," he whispered (he _always _whispered to her). "I think that I've fallen in love with you. Do you love me as well?"

Sakura smiled happily. "Oh, yes, I do!" she told him, and he returned her smile before leaning in to kiss her once more.

This was when she kissed him back. Returning the kiss as much as she could, she was overwhelmed with happiness when he deepened the kiss, his tongue brushing over her lips which immediately parted. He dove in, exploring inside her mouth, pulling her closer to him in the kiss. Sakura moaned at the contact, and grabbed his arms to steady herself as she completely lost herself in the sensation of kissing this gorgeous man.

Her hands came up to his hair, her fingers clenching and unclenching in his surprisingly soft tresses, and she felt him pull her much closer to him in response.

Eventually they parted, and she looked up at the one who'd stolen her heart, even if he was just a dream. "Stay with me forever," Gaara whispered. "Never leave me."

"I never will," Sakura promised him with all her heart, closing her eyes as she slowly drifted out of her dream.

Sighing in frustration, Sakura sat up in bed, but then flushed with embarrassment when she felt a thrumming sensation run through her. Her body was reacting from her dream's kiss, she knew. What would happen if things went... further? She blushed at the thought.

The day passed as usual, and Sakura spent most of it in the garden. The rose that had brought her here called to her, and she spent a good three hours just staring at it. There was something about the flower that made her stare at it, and eventually she realised what it was. The petals were the exact same shade as Prince Gaara's hair!

The thought kept her preoccupied for the rest of the day, causing her to be rather vague and not entirely paying attention to the conversation during dinner. Naturally, the demon noticed that something was going on.

"Are you alright, Sakura?" he asked, concern in his usual grating voice. Sakura had long since decided that his voice reminded her of sand, rather apt considering that they were surrounded by a desert.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm rather distracted tonight. I'm being a rather poor guest."

"Nonsense!" the demon said in a tone that sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. "You're obviously not feeling well, so we shall cut tonight short."

Cutting the night short meant that the beast disappeared after dinner. It wasn't until she was slipping under the covers of her bed that Sakura realised that he hadn't asked her to marry him, and she felt empty all of a sudden. Shrugging it aside, she lay down, closed her eyes, and was soon in the company of her very own Prince Charming.

"I missed you, Sakura," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear.

Immediately he started to kiss her again, and as she'd predicted, things went further. His hands roved her body even as hers travelled over his, and soon they were doing something that, had this not been a dream, would have had her embarrassed and worrying. After it was over, she stole a glance at her Prince, noticing he had a troubled look on his face. Why? Pushing it aside, she curled up to him and he responded by tightening his hold on her.

Slowly Sakura's eye slid shut, and just before she returned to the real world, she heard her Prince whisper, "Ashiteru, Sakura."

**Ok, so like I said, two more chapters to go, and then I'm finished. Review please!**


	4. A Visit Home

**Got a chapter done! Yips and stuff! Anyway, this is the second last chapter, and after that, this'll be complete! Yay! So, anyway, enjoy!**

**Don't own Naruto.**

**Part Four – A Visit Home**

Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and soon Sakura had been at the palace for over six months. Everyday was basically the same, which was fine, since the place was so big that there was something new to do each day. Not once had she been bored in her time there, but there was something that was starting to get to her.

Sakura was homesick. While it was all well and good that she was enjoying her time here and being well looked after by the demon, she desperately missed her family. During the day was when she felt it the most, as she was on her own until dinner when the demon would dine with her. He'd seemed to notice that something was wrong, and had questioned her about it before she'd even realised what she was feeling.

Even her dream lover, Prince Gaara, had noticed and had been more loving in his caresses, as if trying to soothe her woes away. But they wouldn't leave. Sakura was lonely, and missed her family with all her heart. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore, and one evening, decided to broach the subject with her host.

"You seem especially melancholy tonight, Sakura," the demon noted.

"It's because I miss my family," she told him. "My mother, my father, my sisters. I miss my friends, too."

She sighed again and poked at the food on her plate, willing herself not to cry, though she desperately wanted to. The beast had become a friend to her, and she didn't want to hurt him by making him feel that she hated him or anything. She didn't hate him, though she still felt that she could not be married to him, no matter how many times he asked her.

The beast sighed then, a great rattling sigh, and Sakura looked up to see that his eyes had closed. He seemed to be deep in thought, and a moment later, she was surprised when he stood abruptly and the invisible servants began to clear the dishes away.

"I feel it is necessary to retire early tonight," he told her. "Go to your bed now, Sakura. In the morning I will see you, and give you something to help you with your homesickness."

He vanished then, and she couldn't help but wonder what he meant by that. Though she was slightly distracted by the fact that for once, he hadn't asked her to marry him. She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Once she fell asleep, she naturally returned to her Prince, and it seemed that she wasn't the only one who was melancholy. There was something extra in the way he made love to her that night, and once they were finished and she lay there curled up against him, she questioned him about it.

"It's nothing," he whispered to her, kissing her forehead. "It's just that... you're going away, and I won't see you for awhile. At least, not until you come back. Promise me you'll come back."

"I promise," she told him, not sure why he'd said that she was leaving. She got her answer the next morning when the demon greeted her in the main hall.

"I have a gift for you," he told her, and held out a ring.

Sakura gasped at the beauty of it. The ring was made of white gold, set with an emerald and a diamond, both of which were shaped like hearts. The emerald was slightly bigger than the diamond, and she was rendered speechless at the gift.

"This is a magic ring," the demon told her. "When you put it on and close your eyes, you will appear anywhere you want to be in the world. This way you can visit your family, and then come back anytime you please."

Sakura was overjoyed with the gift, and she looked up to thank him, only to see great sadness in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Promise me you'll come back," he begged, reminding her of the fact that Gaara had asked the exact same thing. "I want you to come back. I'll die without you."

His words cut straight into her heart, and she rushed forward to hug him, something she'd never done before. He was startled at first, but then he hugged her back, enveloping her in his sandy embrace.

"I promise I'll be back," she whispered. "You don't have to worry about dying, there's no need for that!"

Pulling away from him, she placed the ring on her finger and slowly closed her eyes. Maybe she was imagining it, or just plain hallucinating, but she could have sworn at that last moment the beast had disappeared and Gaara had stood before her instead. But she shrugged it off. Her Prince was just a dream, wasn't he?

Opening her eyes once more, she found herself in the kitchen of her old home, and couldn't help but feel amused by the sight before her. There sat her mother, father and Ino, staring at her as if she were a figment of their imagination. Their jaws were slack and open and a moment later, the kettle her mother was holding slipped from her fingers and fell with a clatter to the floor.

"Oh. My God," Ino whispered, and slowly stood up.

She came over to Sakura and gingerly poked her, as if trying to see if she were real or not. After physically being assured that she really was there, she flew at her sister, embracing her roughly as she burst into tears. Ino's actions then spurred on Tsunade and Jiraiya, both of whom joined their two youngest in a group hug.

"Oh my god, Sakura! I missed you so much!" Ino wailed, and their parents nodded in affirmation.

Pulling away, Jiraiya tried to give her a stern look, failed miserably, and said, "That was a silly thing to do, little missy! Drugging me and going off to a demon? What were you thinking?!"

"I just wanted to save you," Sakura told him contritely, then looked around. "Where's Tenten?"

"She doesn't live here anymore," Tsunade told her. "She's married now."

"Oh, right! To that baron's son!" Sakura exclaimed.

"We can go visit her later," Jiraiya decided. "She'll be glad to see you. But for now, let's all get back to breakfast!"

All three of his girls sweat-dropped.

When they visited her later, Tenten was definitely delighted to see her, and it was only then that Sakura told them her story. Already she'd taken the ring off and put it on a chain around her neck, and her sisters had ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the whole thing. Their parents had been slightly less impressed, and tried to get their youngest to promise that she wouldn't go back, but Sakura shook her head.

"I've already promised him I would go back," she told them. "I won't go back on my word."

Much later, it was just Tenten, Ino and Sakura, and it was to her sisters that she confided in the existence of her dream lover. "He sounds wonderful!" Ino declared with a sigh. "If only he were real, then he could sweep you off your feet and take you away from the demon!"

Tenten nodded in agreement. "This Prince sounds like he'd be perfect for you, if he were real," she said. "Prince Gaara. I swear I've heard that name before."

"Really?" Sakura asked. "Where?"

Tenten just shrugged.

Later in the day, Sakura stopped by Hinata's place, and learned that her friend was getting married. "My father agreed to the proposal from Lord Uchiha," she told her. "In six months, I'll be marrying his youngest, Sasuke."

Sakura hugged her. "Congratulations," she told her, and it was then that she told her about Gaara.

"You wish he was real," Hinata stated, and Sakura nodded, fighting back tears when her best friend proceeded to hug her.

It was much later when she went to sleep that Ino slipped into her room. In her hand she held a ring that was similar enough to the one the demon had given Sakura, and the girl quietly swapped the rings. It hadn't been difficult to find one, as they'd become rich once more while Sakura had been gone. Ino made the switch then looked down at the face of her sleeping sister.

"I'm sorry, Sakura," she whispered. "It's for your own good. We can't loose you again. Please forgive me."

Miles and miles away, for some inexplicable reason, a great demon of the sand had a terrible feeling he'd just lost something precious to him, but when he searched, nothing was missing... except Sakura, of course, but she'd promised him that she would return, and he didn't doubt her for a second...

The next morning when she woke, Sakura didn't realise that her ring was the wrong one, and she went about her day completely oblivious to the fact that her way back to the demon was no longer in her possession.

**That ring is a real one, I found a picture of it on the net! Anyway, I hope you liked it, and make sure you review! Bye!**


	5. A Love Set Free

**I've finished! Yay! But I'm sad that it's over. Maybe I'll write another Naruto styled fairy tale.**

**Don't own Naruto.**

**Part Five – A Love Set Free**

The days passed, and Sakura was having an absolute ball with her family. Her time was divided between her parents and Ino, Tenten and her husband and Hinata and her family. Now that she was back, her father was receiving renewed requests for her hand, and Sakura knew that he was seriously considering them. But she didn't want to marry any of these wannabe husbands.

There was only one man for her, even though it was a sad fact that he was only a figment of her imagination. It was weird, though, that she hadn't dreamed of Prince Gaara since she was at the demon's castle. In a sudden start of remembrance, his words came back to her, _"It's just that... you're going away, and I won't see you for awhile."_

How had he known? If he really was just a figment of her imagination, then how could something she didn't know until the next day affect what he said? It was a mystery, and one she would figure out, just not right now.

At that moment, Sakura was sitting in the garden behind their house. It was in no way as grand as the garden at the demon's castle, but it was still very nice. Her parents were off to one side, chatting happily about stuff, and Ino was sitting to her left, laying back in the incline of her seat, relaxing. For awhile there, she'd been anxious, like she'd expected Sakura to suddenly vanish on them. Now she was more relaxed, and enjoying her younger sisters company.

"This is the life, isn't it?" Ino asked with a content sigh. "Just laying back and enjoying the day!"

Sakura smiled. "It won't last forever, though," she told her.

Ino's gaze snapped to hers. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"I just meant that when you get married, life is going to change for you," Sakura said, missing the slight panic in her sister's eyes a moment before. "When you marry Lord Kiba, you're gonna have your hands full with all the social appointments you'll have to keep up."

Ino visibly relaxed and smiled wryly. "I suppose that's true," she agreed, still slightly unnerved.

Ever since she'd swapped Sakura's ring for a fake, she'd been a little on edge, dreading the moment when her sister discovered that it was a fake. That day was fast approaching, as Sakura had said she would be going back to the demon soon. She'd promised to come back again, but Ino was still scared for her sister's life, no matter how nice she said the demon was. So she lived in a constant state of fear of discovery, but had long since decided it was worth it if Sakura never returned to that monster.

And now, Sakura was starting to fiddle with the ring. The day Ino dreaded was closer than she wanted.

"So," Sakura said, distracting her. "I was thinking of going to see Hinata this afternoon. Will you be alright here with Mother and Father?"

Ino smiled. "I'll be fine, Sakura," she reassured her.

So, later that day, Sakura went to see her best friend. Hinata had invited company over, though, so they didn't really get to talk much, since the other girls there, all Hyuuga's as well, were more interested in talking about jewels and dresses and who they were going to end up marrying one day. That was all really boring to Sakura, who'd never been overly interested in those things, only going along with Tenten and Ino's little make over sessions throughout the years because she adored her sisters.

The day finally came when Sakura knew that it was time for her to leave. She said good-bye to her friends and to her family, then drew apart from everyone. Lifting the ring to her finger, she took one last look around her childhood home before slipping it on. Slowly she closed her eyes, count to ten, then opened them. But instead of seeing the grand castle in the middle of the desert, she was still in her parent's home.

Her heart started to beat faster as she came dangerously close to hyperventilating. Why wasn't it working? The ring had brought her home, why wasn't it taking her back? Sakura was panicking. She _needed_ to get back, she'd promised him! Lifting her hand, she stared at the ring for a moment, boring the image into her brain. Something was not right...

A moment later it hit her like a ton of bricks. This wasn't her ring! But how had this one ended up with her? More importantly, _where_ was _her_ ring? She racked her brain, trying to think of how she could have ended up with a phoney ring, and there was only one explanation. Someone had switched it. At some point, someone had managed to get to her ring and swap it with this fake. But who? As she thought about it, she knew there were only a few possibilities; her mother, father, Ino or Tenten.

"No!" she cried, and instantly there was the sound of feet rushing towards her.

"Sakura!" Tsunade shouted when she saw the girl was still here. "What's wrong? Why are you still here?"

Sakura was in tears now, sobbing helplessly into the arms that immediately engulfed her in a hug. "Sshh," Tsunade soothed. "It's okay, baby. What's wrong?"

It took her awhile to stop crying, even then she still sniffled a lot. But finally Sakura managed to get herself under control enough to answer her.

"M-my r-ring!" she said, a slight stutter in her words, caused by her tears. "I-it's the wrong one! S-someone took my ring!"

Her family tried to be there for her, but she was inconsolable. Her only way back to the demon and her Prince was gone from her, and she had no idea where it was. She fell into a melancholy, and took to sleeping during the day, not eating when her mother or sister brought her food. Not even a visit from Tenten cheered her up.

It was on one of these visits that Ino confessed to Tenten that she'd taken the ring. "Well, you should give it back to her!" she commanded.

"Why?" Ino asked. "If she gets the ring back, she'll leave us!"

"She's already leaving us!" Tenten chastised. "Her heart is broken, and she's dying without him!"

"Him? Him who?"

Tenten sighed. "I finally figured out where I'd heard the name Prince Gaara," she told her sister. "Trust me, if you want Sakura to be alive and happy, you'll give the ring back."

"But why!?"

"Just do it, Ino!" Tenten snapped. "And it had better not be too late for them, you know how these things go."

"What things?"

"I'll explain later!"

"You'd better," Ino grouched, and made her way to Sakura's room.

Sakura still hadn't moved from her place in her bed, and Ino's heart broke. It was a multiple break, caused by her concern for her sister, and her desire for her to stay safe from the demon. And yet, Tenten had seemed suer that Sakura would be fine if she went back. She was so confused. She had no idea what was going on, but she was so used to doing what her older sister told her that she just went with the flow.

"Sakura?" Ino whispered as she approached the bed.

"What?"

Sakura's voice was so quiet that Ino barely heard her. "I have something for you."

"I don't want it."

"But it'll make you happy," Ino promised her. "It's your ring."

Sakura shot up in her bed. "What!?"

Tears fell down Ino's cheek as she held the ring out. "I'm so sorry, Sakura!" she cried. "I didn't want you to go away again, so I swapped the rings! Please forgive me!"

Sakura looked down at her sister, and her heart strings were pulled. She smiled and took the ring from her. Standing up, she quickly changed what she was wearing, since there was no way she was going to return in her nightdress. Then she turned to her sister.

"I understand why you did it," she told her. "I forgive you. Tell mother and father I love them. Tenten too."

Ino nodded, then Sakura put her ring on, closed her eyes, then opened them again.

It worked! She now stood in the same place she had when the demon had first given her the ring. Looking around, Sakura smiled happily at the sight of the castle, and began searching through the place, calling to the demon as she went. But there was no answer. Where could he be? The sun was starting to set, and as the last rays filtered down, Sakura made her way out into the garden. It was the last place he needed to check.

"Beast!? Where are you?" Sakura called, but there was no answer.

She was about to give up when the scent of roses hit her and, with a slight smile on her face, she ran in the direction of the roses. The sight that met her eyes, however, had her stopping in her tracks. A look of horror crossed her features and she propelled herself forward. The demon lay on the ground as if he was dead, and Sakura flung herself upon him, tears falling freely.

"No!" she cried. "You can't be dead! I came back to you! Please don't be dead!"

He wasn't dead, though, and he cracked one of his great eyes open. The sight of his golden, diamond shaped irises made her heart swell and she hugged him anew.

"Sakura," he whispered. "I'm so glad I got to see you one last time before I die."

His eye closed and she let out a wail. "No!" she cried again. "Don't die on me! Please I love you, I really do!"

She really did, she realised. Losing him wasn't something she wanted to happen to her. Leaning into him, she sobbed wretchedly into his sandy fur, the coarseness of it scratching her skin slightly. But she didn't care. Someone she loved so much was dying, and there was nothing she could do to save him.

As the sun finally set, the demon breathed his last and his body vanished from underneath Sakura's hold. Falling forward a little, Sakura hugged herself close, letting her grief overwhelm her, but then a voice spoke, one she knew well. One she knew was impossible to hear outside of her dreams.

"Sakura."

Looking up, her jaw dropped in shock at the sight of Prince Gaara standing before her. He was smiling, and she felt like screaming at him because this was not a happy moment. The beast was dead, for Kami's sake! He held out his hand to her, and she couldn't help it. She went straight to him.

"There's no need to grieve, Sakura," he told her. "I am the beast."

"W-what?"

"A wicked enchantress cast a spell on me, turning me into a beast when I refused to marry her," he explained. "But you broke the spell when you told me you loved me while I was a demon."

"Why didn't you tell me!?" she wailed, hugging him tightly.

"It was the curse," he told her, kissing the top of her head. "I'll ask you again, Sakura, this time as myself. Will you marry me?"

She mumbled something against his neck that he couldn't quite hear, but then she moved slightly and repeated, "Yes."

The wedding was a magnificent affair, and all her family and friends were invited. The invisible servants had become visible and the castle was once again filled with sounds of laughter and joy, and a clichéd as it is, Prince Gaara and the now Princess Sakura lived happily ever after until the end of their days

**The End**

**So, hope you liked it and everything, and don't forget to review!**


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